Gallant: Netanyahu Spoke With US Officials, Did Not Update Me

Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated on Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with senior American officials about matters related to Israel's security without informing him. Gallant made these remarks in response to a Haaretz report detailing an early warning from the United Arab Emirates to Netanyahu about a potential war before October 7th.

Gallant expressed his surprise at the report, suggesting that if such a warning were received, the head of the Mossad or Shin Bet would have been immediately involved in gathering more information. He questioned the Prime Minister's office's claim that no record of such a conversation exists, stating that schedules and records do not tell the whole story.

"I learned throughout this war that there were conversations between Netanyahu and the Americans that I was not aware of," Gallant explained. He recounted instances where senior US officials, below the presidential level, would contact him to verify statements made by Netanyahu hours earlier. This indirect method was how Gallant became aware of these high-level communications, which he felt were not adequately shared within the Israeli security apparatus.